In our latest post we are speaking to Melanie Edge. Mel is the captain of the Hawthorn AFL Blind Football team and the very first female captain in the competition. She is also a keen Achilles runner, and we’re lucky to count her among the founding team of Accessibull Eats.

We ventured out to Ringwood for a tasty lunch at Thai Alley at Eastland in Melbourne. Mel shared funny stories of the shenanigans her team got up to, and I asked her about what made for a good restaurant experience. 

Michelle: What’s your favourite place to eat?

Mel: I don’t really have a favourite restaurant, but I like pubs. They usually have wide menus, so they cater for a wide range of people, they’re not too expensive  so people are more likely to come, and they’re generally accessible. 

Michelle: What’s one example of a good pub?

Mel: The Imperial Hotel is a good one. The staff there are friendly and happy to rearrange furniture if it’s needed for people in wheelchairs to get through. They show initiative, respect that we all have different needs and make us feel welcome. And the food is good too!

Michelle: On the flipside, what’s an example of a bad experience you’ve had when going out to eat?

Mel: I used to have dinners with a group of blind and low vision friends who would come in from the country. There was a restaurant in the city with good food, and they would set up a big table for us. The waiter would sit at the table with us and read the entire menu out loud from beginning to end. They also let us split the bill so we could pay individually. 

But after the restaurant got a new owner, things changed. They no longer split the bill and they wouldn’t help us with reading the menu. They charged us for a drink we didn’t order, then took the wine bottle away when we hadn’t finished it yet. 

We no longer felt welcome. The restaurant didn’t feel warm and inviting anymore, so we didn’t go back. 

It was really disappointing because the restaurant was a really nice place and we had to find a different place for catch ups.

Michelle: What are you must haves for restaurants – what would make a restaurant accessible for you?

Mel: Larger sized menus with big font. And good lighting too. Putting the menu on the restaurant’s website could be useful. Tactile signs so that people can tell which door leads where. There have been a few times when I accidentally went to the wrong toilet.

Takeaway box:

Do you run a restaurant? What can you take away from this interview?

• It’s important for front of house staff to have a warm and friendly attitude, and to understand the different access needs of different restaurant patrons. When staff take initiative to make sure patrons have the best experience possible, it converts visitors into repeat customers.
• Put your menu on your website so that people with vision impairments can find out what’s on your menu, and other customers can plan what they want to order in advance. Be aware that image or pdf menu formats are not always accessible.
• Be aware that dim lighting can make it more difficult for people to read the menu, see each other and the food they are eating, and communicate with each other. 
• Tactile signs can make it easier for customers to navigate around.
• You can find out more about the AFL Blind League on the AFL Community website and about walking and running with Achilles through their website as well. 

Featured restaurant: Thai Alley

Address: r12/171 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood VIC 3134

There is also a Thai Alley restaurant at Watergardens Shopping Centre but we have not been there.

Opening Hours: Thai Alley is open from 11:30am to 10pm every day. 

Getting There: Thai Alley is next to the south entrance of Ringwood’s Eastland Shopping Centre. The south entrance of Eastland Shopping Centre is directly opposite Ringwood Station.

Physical Access: Thai Alley has a flat entrance but two heavy glass doors that need to be pulled open. We did not look at the toilet facilities, but there are accessible toilets inside Eastland Shopping Centre.

Most of the seating is in booths but there are a few stand alone tables and chairs that can be moved around.

Information Access: The physical menus have relatively small font. They have pictures so you can see what the food will look like. 

The menu is available on the Thai Alley website but it is not screen readable. 

Sensory Access: The restaurant is relatively quiet as there is minimal background music and the internal fit out muffles the surrounding conversations. 

Because we came during the day time, the daylight and large windows ensured that the restaurant was well lit.